Title: Deconfined Quantum Critical Points: Symmetries and Dualities

Abstract

The deconfined quantum critical point (QCP), separating the Néel and valence bond solid phases in a 2D antiferromagnet, was proposed as an example of (2+1)D criticality fundamentally different from standard Landau-Ginzburg-Wilson-Fisher criticality. In this work, we present multiple equivalent descriptions of deconfined QCPs, and use these to address the possibility of enlarged emergent symmetries in the low-energy limit. The easy-plane deconfined QCP, besides its previously discussed self-duality, is dual to N _f=2 fermionic quantum electrodynamics, which has its own self-duality and hence may have an O(4)×ZT2 symmetry. We propose several dualities for the deconfined QCP with SU(2) spin symmetry which together make natural the emergence of a previously suggested SO(5) symmetry rotating the Néel and valence bond solid orders. These emergent symmetries are implemented anomalously. The associated infrared theories can also be viewed as surface descriptions of (3+1) D topological paramagnets, giving further insight into the dualities. We describe a number of numerical tests of these dualities. We also discuss the possibility of “pseudocritical” behavior for deconfined critical points, and the meaning of the dualities and emergent symmetries in such a scenario.

Authors:

Wang, Chong ^[1]; Nahum, Adam ^[2]; Metlitski, Max A. ^[3]; Xu, Cenke ^[4]; Senthil, T. ^[5]

---

+ Show Author Affiliations

1. Univ. of California, Santa Barbara, CA (United States). Kavli Inst. for Theoretical Physics; Harvard Univ., Cambridge, MA (United States)
2. Massachusetts Inst. of Technology (MIT), Cambridge, MA (United States); Oxford Univ. (United Kingdom)
3. Massachusetts Inst. of Technology (MIT), Cambridge, MA (United States); Perimeter Inst. for Theoretical Physics, Waterloo, ON (Canada); Univ. of California, Santa Barbara, CA (United States). Kavli Inst. for Theoretical Physics
4. Univ. of California, Santa Barbara, CA (United States). Kavli Inst. for Theoretical Physics; Univ. of California, Santa Barbara, CA (United States)
5. Massachusetts Inst. of Technology (MIT), Cambridge, MA (United States)

Publication Date:

2017-09-22

Research Org.:

Massachusetts Inst. of Technology (MIT), Cambridge, MA (United States)

Sponsoring Org.:

USDOE Office of Science (SC), Fusion Energy Sciences (FES) (SC-24)

OSTI Identifier:

1394030

Alternate Identifier(s):

OSTI ID: 1423869

Grant/Contract Number:  

sc0008739

Resource Type:

Published Article

Journal Name:

Physical Review. X

Additional Journal Information:

Journal Volume: 7; Journal Issue: 3; Journal ID: ISSN 2160-3308

Publisher:

American Physical Society

Country of Publication:

United States

Language:

English

Subject:

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSICS; Dualities in Field Theory; Gauge Theories; Quantum Criticality; Quantum Phase Transitions; Particles and Fields; Statistical Physics; Condensed Matter and Materials Physics